Excavations commenced at the site of a former mother-and-baby home in Tuam, County Galway, marking a step in uncovering the truth behind the suspected burial of 796 children in unmarked graves without records. Preliminary work is underway before a major excavation at the location.
Barriers were erected, and metal panels placed in the garden to facilitate the excavation work. The actual excavations are expected to take months and will involve a detailed forensic search of the 5,000-square-meter area. The development comes after a decade of delays due to state inquiries.
"When I started, no one wanted to listen," recalled Catherine Corless, a local historian whose research brought the issue to light. Her investigation uncovered 798 death certificates for children associated with the home but no burial records, raising suspicions about mass burials at the site.
Operated by the Bon Secours religious order from 1925 to 1961, the Tuam mother-and-baby home housed unmarried mothers and their children. It was one of many such institutions across Ireland run in tandem by the Catholic Church and the state, where women often faced abuses and were forced to give up their children.
In 2017, the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation announced that "significant quantities of human remains" were found in an underground sewage structure at the Tuam site during its research, following the alarm raised by Corless. The discovery confirmed suspicions of mass burials and prompted calls for a thorough excavation and identification of the remains.
"The children were denied dignity in life and in death," said Anna Corrigan, whose two brothers, John and William Dolan, might be buried at the site. "They prevaricate, they obfuscate, they make it difficult for people to get to the truth," she stated, criticizing the slow pace of the investigation.
DNA samples will be taken from people able to attest a familial link with the babies who died in the home. Any identified remains will be returned to family members in accordance with their wishes, while unidentified remains will be buried with dignity and respect.
The scandal surrounding the Tuam mother-and-baby home shook the Irish public, revealing a dark chapter in the nation's history. Approximately 9,000 children died in such institutions across Ireland, many due to neglect, malnutrition, and lack of medical care. Major causes of death included respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, and malnutrition.
In 2021, the Irish government officially apologized to the survivors of the institutions, acknowledging a "deeply inadequate" response to the mistreatment of mothers and their children in these homes. The apology followed the findings of a Commission of Investigation, which noted "disquieting" levels of infant mortality.
"I never thought I would see this day come. So many obstacles have been overcome," said Corless, expressing relief as the excavation began. She hoped the excavations would provide some closure for survivors and relatives, though she acknowledged it wouldn't bring peace to everyone. "Even if we manage to identify some remains, it won't bring peace to everyone," she said.
"It's been a fierce battle," Corless reflected. "When I started this, nobody wanted to listen. At last, we are righting the wrongs," she said, according to The Irish Times.
"I'm glad it's starting, but if we can even find and identify a certain amount, it's not going to give us all closure," said Corrigan, expressing a mixture of relief and frustration at the process.
Unmarried pregnant women were sent to homes managed by the Catholic Church at the request of the Irish state, often facing abuses. Many were forced to give up their children, who were then adopted or, as in the case of Tuam, may have died and been buried without proper records.
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